Nicolas Cage got into a bidding war with Leonardo DiCaprio over a 67-million-year-old Tarbosaurus skull. Cage won with a bid of $276,000. Seven years later, the skull was identified as having been illegally smuggled from Mongolia. Cage had to return it to the Mongolian government. He got nothing back.
Cage vs DiCaprio: The Dinosaur Bidding War
In 2007, two of Hollywood's biggest names walked into a Beverly Hills auction house and started bidding against each other for a dinosaur skull. Not a replica. A real, 67-million-year-old Tarbosaurus bataar skull — a close relative of the Tyrannosaurus Rex.
Nicolas Cage won the bidding war against Leonardo DiCaprio with a final price of $276,000. For Cage, it was just another addition to his famously eccentric collection, which at various points has included a haunted mansion in New Orleans, two albino king cobras, and a stolen comic book.
But in 2014, the Department of Homeland Security contacted Cage about the skull. Federal investigators had been dismantling an international fossil trafficking ring led by a Florida dealer named Eric Prokopi, who had been smuggling dinosaur bones out of Mongolia's Gobi Desert. Cage's Tarbosaurus skull was part of the haul.
Cage cooperated fully and returned the skull to the Mongolian government in 2015. He received no compensation. The $276,000 he'd paid was gone. DiCaprio, who lost the auction, ended up with the better deal — $276,000 richer and zero federal investigations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Nicolas Cage have to return the dinosaur skull?
Did Nicolas Cage get his money back for the dinosaur skull?
Verified Fact
Widely documented. The Tarbosaurus skull purchase and return are confirmed by court records from the Eric Prokopi fossil smuggling case (US v. One Tyrannosaurus Bataar Skeleton). Cage confirmed cooperation with authorities through his representatives. DiCaprio's involvement in the bidding confirmed by multiple sources including The Guardian and Vanity Fair.
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